A fine cut of meat that never falls below 2 centimeters, tastier than fillet because it is slightly fatter and with an unmistakable flavour: let's talk about rib eye and how to cook it in the perfect way.
Excellent grilled, on the barbecue, but also on the plate, the rib can be served rare, medium or well done, natural or with fragrant spices: in any case it manages to give us great satisfaction.
PREPARATION:
1. Before starting, let the meat rest
In the kitchen, haste is never a good adviser and even for the perfect rib, patience is a fundamental ingredient. To obtain balanced and homogeneous cooking it is important that the meat, when it meets the hot plate, is at room temperature: in fact, the sudden transition from the fridge to the fire would cause all the liquids to leak and definitively ruin your rib. To be on the safe side, take the meat out of the fridge at least two hours before cooking it.
2. Dry it well
Among the great enemies of the perfect rib we find liquids and humidity that do not allow the meat to reach the Maillard reaction. Before starting cooking, therefore, it is advisable not only to let the meat rest at room temperature, but also to pat it dry with a sheet of absorbent paper to be absolutely sure that there are still no liquids. Be careful never to rinse the rib under running water, not only does it not eliminate any bacteria but it risks condemning your rib to a cooking that is more reminiscent of a boil than a nice grill.
3. Seasoning yes or no ?
In this case, the schools of thought are so different that we have seen even decades-old friendships end in front of a barbecue: should the rib-eye be seasoned or not before touching the hot pan? If you are a purist, the answer is no: the rib-eye has an intense flavor even if it has no seasoning and we recommend adding salt, perhaps coarse, only at the end of cooking. If, on the other hand, you like the aromas of herbs and spices and prefer quick cooking (so that the previously salted meat does not lose too much juice), massage your beautiful rib with salt, pepper and herbs and put it on a high flame.
4. The hot plate and the Maillard reaction
The perfect rib, whether you like it or not, responds to a chemical law called the Maillard reaction: what is it about? Of the caramelization of meat proteins and sugars naturally contained in foods. How does it happen? The external crust that makes your rib perfect is formed only if the meat comes into contact with the plate at a temperature of 140°C. Our advice? Get yourself a cooking thermometer and, as soon as you reach the right degrees, lay the meat and enjoy the show.
5. Choose the right pan
The fact that you don't have a barbecue and a garden at your disposal to invite your friends for a barbecue shouldn't make you give up savoring a perfect rib-eye, but to do so you'll have to pay attention to choosing the right pan. Also in this case, to obtain the now famous Maillard reaction, you will need a pan that reaches and maintains a temperature of 140 °C: cast iron and iron are highly recommended, non-stick pans better not. To prevent the rib from sticking to the pan, you can lightly grease it with extra virgin olive oil, or choose a marinade, according to your tastes.
6. No fork, please
A bad habit is to turn the rib over and over with a fork: it will be handy but pricking the meat you will end up pricking it and therefore letting the liquids and juices that keep it tender come out. During cooking, to check and turn the rib, use a pair of tongs and you won't run any risk.
7. Cooking times and degrees
Probably the hardest part, the one you can never go wrong with: well done, medium or rare? How many degrees and for how long do you need to cook a rib to get it perfect? In this case the answer is within you and it's called taste: yet you need to follow small and simple rules.
If you prefer a well cooked rib, then you will have to cook it for 5 minutes per side and obtain a complete caramelization over the entire surface; for medium cooking the minutes go down to 4 while if you are passionate about "rare" meat your rib-eye shouldn't touch the plate for more than 2 minutes. Extreme carnivores chapter: for you we have cooking al bleu, the stage preceding cooking rare, in this case 60 seconds per side and using a knife and fork, at least use those.
ENJOY YOUR MEAL!